


The Path of Destiny

by ShadowsDaughter



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Age Swap, Alternate Universe, Endgame is Wincest, F/M, M/M, Older Sam, Psychic Abilities, Wincest - Freeform, Younger Dean
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-17
Updated: 2016-10-30
Packaged: 2018-03-30 23:13:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3955540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadowsDaughter/pseuds/ShadowsDaughter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean had always just wanted Sam at his side, for them to be brothers through it all which is why it about killed him when Sam left him behind to go to Stanford. Sam had always wanted his brother....more than a brother should, so he went to Stanford in hopes of that clearing away. It doesn't. Dean is now getting visions but the worst one is when he sees Sam and his girlfriend die in a fire much like Mary Winchester had. Why is Dean getting visions? How is he getting the visions? Where is John? And why is Sam looking at Dean like he could eat him up?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Poughkeepsie

**Author's Note:**

> Another idea of mine. :D But this one has been planned out to end, it took several pages in fact so this shall be finished. Apologies for not updating my other stories but I am working on them! Please let me know what you think of this one!

It had been a long time since Sam had seen his brother, a few years actually. There had been a couple phone calls, a letter, and a few texts but that was it. So when Sam came out of class to find he had three missed calls from Dean, it was surprising to say the least. He decided to wait to call Dean back until he got to the apartment he shared with Jess. It had been hard at first, having been so deep into his brother but he had grown to like Jessica. Hell, he loved her but he wasn’t sure if he was in love with her. Dean still had the first slot in his heart.

“Hey, babe. How was class? You’re almost done!” Jessica greeted him with a kiss and he grinned back.

“Okay, I guess. Just want this year to end,” Sam replied but paused when his phone buzzed, signaling a missed call from Dean. Why hadn’t his phone rang and why was his brother calling so much? Just as he was about to call Dean back, his phone notified him of a voicemail. Ignoring Jessica’s look of confusion, he went to their bedroom, calling his voice mail. The message was hard to understand, static-y.

“Sam…gotto…. dammit… Poughkeepsie!”

Sam felt like he suddenly couldn’t breathe. His little brother missed him and wanted him back in the game, he knew that, but he also knew Dean wouldn’t fuck with him like this. If Dean had to use one of the many code-words their father drilled into their heads, shit was getting real.

“Jess!” He yelled for his girlfriend, already grabbing an old duffel he hadn’t used in a long time. He must have sounded as freaked as he felt because she came running into the room.

“Sam? What’s going on?” Jessica asked, watching with wide eyes.

“Pack a bag or two, we need to go. Now.”

———

Dean groaned, wetting a paper towel to wipe the blood off his face. The visions were knocking him on his ass more and more frequently and his body was definitely letting him know how much it hated it. He was glad that he wasn’t hunting with his dad because who knew what the man would do if he found out his youngest was a psychic. Dean had been on his own for about a year, having been able to talk his dad into letting him go alone early. But it was lonely more often than not and he found himself dialing Sam’s number daily. But he never called.

Well, not until today.

The last week he had been having visions of a pretty blonde burning on a ceiling like his mom had when he was only six months old. He had no clue who the girl was or where she was until the night before. The vision had been the longest yet but he only remembered flashes.

_…Sam kissing the pretty blonde….the girl dancing in a kitchen while Sam watched with a smile…the girl on the ceiling…Sam being burned trying to save her…_

While he had been upset and wanted to figure out who the girl was, nothing made him freak faster than seeing Sam in danger. He and Sam had been super close when Dean was younger. Hell, Dean idolized his big brother, wanted to be just like him but then Sam left. Left him.

Dean had tried to understand, had he done something? Said one too many jokes? His father had drowned his sorrows with the help of some whiskey while Dean had hid in the bathroom, crying in the shower. As the years passed, Dean learned to live with the hole in his chest, learned to stop looking up when he wanted to make a joke or figured something out, learned that if he didn’t man up he’d either get himself or his dad killed.

But the loneliness wasn’t the worst part anymore. Dean was constantly tired, had to down pill after pill for the headaches that accompanied visions, had to learn to hide how skinny he was getting as it was hard to keep food down. Dean pushed off seeing his dad as much as he could, didn’t want him to see how weak Dean was getting, how much of a freak he was. No, the loneliness wasn’t the worst part. It was the fear.

Dean had plans to keep pulling away from his dad, needed space. Even entertained the thought of settling somewhere because hunting in his state was hard. Especially alone. But then that damned vision with Sam’s death threw all those plans out the window. He couldn’t let Sam die. So he tried to get ahold of him and finally settled with leaving a voicemail that would get Sam moving. Dean was currently in Alabama, he didn’t think he’d get to Sam in time to save him. His visions usually happened soon after Dean had them.

He stumbled to his bed in the crappy motel room and laid down, setting the alarm for two hours. He just needed to rest and then he’d shag ass to find Sam. But his phone ringing had him sitting back up with a groan as the room spun.

“‘lo?” Dean answered. God, he felt like he was gonna faint.

“Dean?”

“Sam,” he tried to sound relieved or happy but his brother’s name only came out as a sigh as he collapsed to the ground, the world going dark, his brother screaming his name through the phone fading away.

\-----

“Sam, please, all this is scaring me,” Jess whispered and Sam winced. He hadn’t said much to Jess, just that there was an emergency and he needed her to come with. She had asked a few questions but Sam had dodged them and she finally stopped asking when he snapped at her. He felt bad about it but he couldn’t risk leaving Jess behind then her getting hurt because of whatever was after him going after her instead. 

“All I can say right now is that… I had a rough past, alright? And some…one is after me because of it so I couldn’t risk leaving you behind,” Sam said and heard Jess gasp. He sighed and pulled out his phone, he had been trying to get ahold of John but he wasn’t answering. With both Dean and John being radio silent, he was getting more worried by the second. 

“And… where are we going now?” Jess’ voice was wavering a bit but it firmed by the end.

“Trying to meet up with my father and brother so they can explain exactly what is going on,” he said and dialed his father’s number. 

“Sam-“

“Jess, please, just… I can’t explain more now, alright?” Sam hit the end button harder than necessary as he got his father’s voicemail again. 

“Okay.”

Sam glared out the windshield as he pushed down harder on the gas. What the hell was going on?

\----

Dean came to with a groan as his body pounded with pain. Apparently spending hours on the floor is not good for the body. Who’da thunk it? He rolled over and rubbed at his eyes but hissed as something jabbed his back. He reached under him and pulled out his cell phone. _Sam!_ He sat up and had to grab the bed to stop things spinning and then he called Sam back.

“Dean!” Sam’s voice had Dean relaxing even if the tone was hard and worried.

“Sam, are you guys okay?” Dean needed to make sure his warning had helped.

“We’re fine, Dean. Are you okay? I heard you fall or something?” Dean winced, knowing he was going to have to lie to Sam and hated it. It was funny, he didn’t mind lying to their dad but to Sam? That was just too much.

“I, uh, passed out because I haven’t been sleeping or eating all that much and the last hunt I got hurt so… yeah.” Dean wanted to smack himself. Could he have rambled anymore?

“Dean…” There was a sigh and Dean knew Sam knew something was up. “Where’s Dad?”

“I don’t know,” slipped out before he could stop himself.

“What do you mean ‘you don’t know’?” Sam was using his dad voice as Dean liked to call it. 

“I haven’t heard from him in a few weeks, which is too long of a period of time for him to not check in,” Dean explained, deciding to just tell Sam the truth about this at least.

“You have been hunting alone!?” Dean winced at Sam’s yell, feeling bad, like he shouldn’t be doing it. Well, he knew it wasn’t smart but he needed to get away from Dad. Needed to get away before he got his dad killed.

“I’m sorry,” Dean whispered and heard Sam sigh loudly. 

“Where are you? We need to meet up,” Sam said, voice softer and Dean nodded. 

“Uh, in Alabama,” Dean answered and Sam was silent for a minute.

“Can you meet us in Colorado? Or should I come to you?” Dean could hear the unasked question: was he okay to go that far on his own?

“I can do it, I’ll meet you there, Sam,” Dean replied. 

“Okay, but make sure you get some food before you go. You hear me, Dean? I can’t have you passing out while driving,” Sam said and Dean heard the plea.

“I will, I promise,” Dean said and finally pushed himself to his feet, rocking a bit as his equilibrium was off. 

“Good.” There was a long pause. “Stay safe, okay? And check in with me in two hours, in fact every two hours unless something comes up okay? I’ll text you where we end up,” Sam said and Dean bit his lip to fight the smile that wanted to emerge. It was inappropriate to want to smile at the moment but his Sammy was worried about him and he would be seeing his big brother soon.

“I will, Sam. You guys keep safe, too,” Dean said and heard Sam laugh a bit.

“Sounding a bit like Dad there, Dean,” Sam said.

“Not as much as you, bitch,” Dean replied and there was an honest laugh from Sam.

“Jerk. Now go eat.” The line clicked, signaling Sam had hung up but Dean didn’t mind. He strode to the bathroom, stripping as he went. He could feel the gross from the last few days on him and that needed to go before he left. Then he would eat, not because Sam told him to but because his stomach was grumbling louder than Sam had ever bitched.


	2. Chapter Two

As Dean promised, he kept in touch which Sam was thankful for. His brother, while he obeyed every order their father barked out, was stubborn. He got a few calls, then they switched to texts until a couple hours later he received a text saying Dean was stopping to get some shut eye and that he'd see him late tomorrow night. He texted back saying "okay, headed to leadville". Sam was unfamiliar with Colorado. Sure, there had been some hunts there but he didn't know much about it. He had been driving twelve hours straight, much to Jess's annoyance, when he saw the sign for Leadville about four hours away and figured that would have to be good enough. If he needed to go farther to meet Dean, then he would but he needed some sleep. Late night sessions and homework had gotten him used to little sleep, but he had forgotten how tiring driving for such a long time could be. 

They found a Super 8 and decided it was good enough. Jess had stopped asking questions, but she had continuously given Sam odd looks and frustrated glares as time passed. Sam understood but he couldn't care about that right now. He needed to meet up with Dean to figure out what the Hell was going on. He booked a room with two beds, to Jess's confusion, but as soon as they got to their room, it seemed Jess had waited long enough. 

"Sam, please, just tell me what the Hell is going on," Jess said, eyes bloodshot, hair greasy and wild. She had taken some naps but never slept longer than an hour or two. 

"Jess," Sam sighed as he put their stuff down on the bed closest to the door but it seemed Jess wouldn't let her questions be avoided anymore.

"No, Sam. Tell me now or I'm leaving," Jess said, voice firm. Sam flinched but nodded and sat down on the bed farthest from the door.

"Do...do you believe in monsters?" Sam asked hesitantly and Jess blinked at him, blue eyes wide and surprised.

"Well, yeah," Sam looked at her in surprise, "we see stuff on the news all the time, murderers, rapists. So, of course I do." It was such a civilian answer that it made Sam laugh.

"That's-that's not exactly what I meant," Sam said and watched as she huffed and sat across from him on the other bed. 

"Then what did you mean?" 

"I mean, vampires and werewolves," Sam said and watched as she rolled her eyes. 

"Sam, c'mon," Jess sighed.

"No, I'm being serious. They do exist, they, they're real," Sam said and watched Jess eye him as if he was crazy. If only. 

"Sam...."

"Let me explain my past first, I guess," Sam said and sighed. This was gonna take a while.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dean was used to being exhausted but when a headache started to spread, he knew he needed to find a place to put his head down. A vision was about to come. He didn't want to be driving, especially in his baby, if he was going to get a vision. He found some ratty motel and paid for a night and sent a last text to Sam before curling up under the covers. The pain was slowly getting worse and worse and his nose was starting to itch. He reached over for the towel he had grabbed and waited for the nose bleed. It was sad how routine this all was. He closed his eyes and just as his mind started to wander in that place between sleep and consiousness, the pain exploded. He cried out and rolled onto his side.

_....a woman screaming....a dark figure standing in a window....Sam yelling..._

Dean was sobbing by the time it was done, towel pressed to his nose. Why? Why was this happening to him? His body shook and cries continuously escaped his tight throat. He wanted to call Sam but knew he couldn't, not now. It would just freak him out and he'd tell Dean to stay put. They didn't have time for that. Plus, he only had about ten more hours to go, at least when he last checked. He could make it. He had to. 

Finally the bleeding stopped, but the headache was still pounding away. He downed some pills with a whole bottle of water before curling up again. He fell asleep with tears still running down his cheeks. He'd think about the vision tomorrow.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jess had taken everything quite well, all things permitted. She hadn't believed him at first but as his story got more and more detailed the disbelief turned to fear and worry, part of why he loved her. Then she got quiet by the end, no longer asking as many questions. Just listened.

"...and so when Dean left me the voicemail saying 'poughkeepsie', I knew we had to get out of there," Sam finished, voice a bit horse. It was getting late and he was tired but Jess needed to know all of this. It was only fair. 

"You don't know what's after you?" Jess asked after a beat and Sam shook his head with a long sigh. 

"I just know I was, am, in danger and it didn't feel fair to leave you behind, knowing what I know, and not knowing the whole story," Sam shrugged and Jess moved to sit next to him, hand sliding into his. 

"Well, thank you for telling me. I still don't really believe all this," Sam snorted, "but you obviously do, so let's just wait until your brother gets here and we'll go from there."

"Yeah," Sam agreed. That was all they could do. 

"Let's go to bed, we both need rest. You especially," her tone was scolding but her eyes were kind. Sam nodded in agreement, feeling drained and could barely muster up the energy to kiss her back. They got ready for bed and as soon as he closed his eyes, Sam was asleep. His dreams starred Dean as usual but this time he was scared and Sam couldn't find him. It wasn't a restful sleep. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As promised, Dean kept up his texts as he drove, only stopping to go to the bathroom and get more coffee. He was so nauseous that food just made him feel more sick. He made himself down the coffee for the caffiene. He swung into Leadville, Colorado around ten that night and called Sam.

"Dean, where are you?" Sam answered, sounding worried. Dean was actually pulling into a diner because he knew he needed to eat. 

"Just pulling into this diner, I need food. Haven't eaten all day," Dean said as he parked towards the end of the lot, away from the other few cars that were there. 

"I told you to take care of yourself," Sam sighed and Dean winced. 

"Well...I'm eating now?" Dean said, feeling bad. 

"Are you in Leadville yet?" Sam asked, tone resigned.

"Yeah, I'm at this little diner that's across from a library, oddly," Dean muttered, looking in his rearview mirror. 

"I know where you are!" Sam chuckled. "I saw that earlier today. Go in and order something, I'll be there soon." Before Dean could protest, not that he really wanted to, Sam hung up. He got out and went inside, sitting in a back booth where he could see everyone. A kind looking elderly waitress walked over. He could smell her perfume when she was five feet away.

"Evening, honey. What can I get ya?" she asked, eyes tiny behind her glasses.

"Double cheesburger with everything and fries, coffee, and do you guys have pie?" he rattled off and watched her write that down on a pad in her hand. 

"Well, we have apple, cherry, and key lime," she listed off. 

"Cherry, please," he smiled at her and she nodded.

"Sure thing, honey. It'll be up soon," she said and walked off. Dean sighed and rested his head down on his arms, feeling exhausted. He needed to sleep for about a hundred years but he knew he couldn't. There was too much to do, too many to save. 

"Dean?" Sam's voice pulled him from his thoughts and he looked up to see Sam standing there, eyes teary and Dean didn't hesitate to jump up to hug his brother. He had missed his brother so much over the last four years. Sam pulled him tight against his body, arms hard and muscled. 

"Damn, you got tall," Sam muttered after a minute and Dean snorted a teary laugh. 

"Look you, Sasquatch," he shot back and stepped away. He could see Sam taking in everything then from his thinness, to his pale skin, his too wide eyes from weight lost, he could probably see the ever present fear in his eyes, too.

"Jesus, Dean, what happened to you?" Sam breathed and Dean flinched, looking down.

"Coffee for you as well, honey?" the waitress called from across the diner and they both jumped. 

"Uh, yes, thank you," Sam replied as Dean sat back down. They had a lot to talk about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, if anyone of you happen to live in Leadville, CO, I apologize for the crappy info as I picked a town randomly! I am sorry for this update not coming sooner. I hope to work more on this in the next month.


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies on this taking so long, I've been having a rought time lately. Please let me know your thoughts as always and I hope y'all are doing alright. This is a shorter chapter but I'm hoping the content will make up for that.

It was awkward at first, Sam had to admit. The hug aside, it had been quiet. Sam was angry. Angry at himself, at John, and a little at Dean for letting himself get so bad. Was he sick? How injured was he that he looked like this? What the hell was going on? Then the food came and Sam watched as Dean dug in, messy like always, but it was like he was starving. Sam winced; he shouldn't have left his brother. His skin was pale, sickly, and his hair was flat, as were his eyes. His eyes...they were huge and full of sadness and fear that had Sam's protective instincts flaring to life. He would kill anyone who made his brother like this.

"So, wanna fill me in?" Sam finally asked, watching how Dean froze and winced, food dropping to the plate. "Dean?"

"I don't want you to hate me," Dean whispered after a minute, voice cracking in a way that let Sam know how upset his little brother really was. 

"I'd never hate you, Dean. Never," Sam said, leaning forward, hands tight around his coffee mug. How could Dean think he'd hate him?

"I...well, I..." Dean huffed, clearly frustrated.

"Just spit it out, whatever it is," Sam offered and Dean rolled his eyes as if to say: yeah, right. Dean slurped his coffee and Sam wrinkled his nose at that but he didn't say anything.

"About a year ago, I started to get...visions," Dean said after a long pause and his skin was paler than it had been which worried Sam but he was more worried about what his brother just said.

"Visions?"

"Yeah, of the future, people dying and God, Sam, it's, just, it's terrible," Dean shuddered, eyes glassy and Sam reached forward to hold onto Dean's hand, needing to comfort his brother even if he was confused.

"So, what, you're psychic now?" he whispered, not wanting others to hear their conversation, even if there was barely anyone in the diner. 

"I guess so," Dean shrugged. Sam swallowed hard and tightened his hand around Dean's. In the back of his mind he was surprised Dean was letting him hold his hand, but his heart was happy with it so he didn't say a word.

"Does Dad know?" Sam asked and watched Dean jerk in shock.

"Hell no, Sammy. If he knew," Dean shook his head. "That's why I've been hunting alone. Hell, I was gonna quit the hunting life since it's getting so bad," that had Sam's eyebrows raising up, "I know, I know," Dean huffed, "but look, it's like...having cancer or something, man. This shit is definitely a curse, not a blessing. Well, I guess in a way it is."

"What do you mean?" Sam asked, even more confused.

"I had this vision that involved you..."

"That's why you called and told me to run," Sam interupted and Dean nodded. "What was the vision about?" That had Dean freezing and paling even more. "Drink some coffee," Sam ordered, worry making his voice shake. He watched as Dean used both hands to bring a shaking cup of coffee to his lips. After a minute, Dean sighed, his skin looking a little more colored.

"In my vision...you and your girlfriend died," Dean said, eyes boring into Sam's and Sam tried to suck in a breath but it was like his body had forgotten how to breathe. 

"What?"

"I'm sorry, Sam."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jess sighed happily as she got out of the shower. She hated not being able to shower regularly. She liked to be clean. She saw Sam was still gone and was a little worried but knew he was with his brother; they needed time to reconnect and go over whatever was after them. That was a scary thought. Monsters were real. As in vampires, ghosts, and werewolves. All real. She shook her head and got dressed, trying to distract herself. She put on the TV for some background noise and pulled out the novel she brought with to read. No way was she sleeping until Sam returned. 

A knock on the door had her pausing from climbing in bed and she sighed, running a hand through her long hair. She needed a trim. Maybe soon she could get one. She went to the door and peaked through the peephole to see it was the man who had checked them in. 

"Yes?" she asked with a smile, pulling the door open.

"Hello, Jessica," the man said and she frowned. How did he know her name?

"Do I know you?" she asked, hand tight on the door. Something wasn't right here.

"I have some news about your boyfriend, there was an accident. May I come in?" he asked and she gasped.

"Sam? Is he okay?" Oh god. Sam. What happened?

"Can I come in?" the man asked and for a second she could have sworn his eyes flashed yellow. Must be the lights.

"Yes, of course," she said and stepped aside, still ignoring the off feeling in her gut, worried about Sam.

Three and a half minutes later the fire department was called for a fire at the Super 8 motel.


	4. Chapter Four

They had been sitting in silence for a few minutes, Dean letting the news sink in for his older brother. It wasn’t every day that you got the news that your brother was psychic and that said brother had a vision that you and the love of your life were going to die. 

“Please, say something,” Dean said after a while, hating the silence. He always had. Always needed music to be playing or would hum at least. That didn’t seem appropriate here.

“What happened in the vision?” Sam asked, voice croaky and higher pitched.

“You don’t want to know,” Dean replied.

“Dean,” Sam’s voice was firm and Dad-like.

“I-I saw her on the ceiling, like mom, and you dying trying to save her. I had been having visions of her dying for a while but I didn’t know who she was until you were in the vision, and I knew I needed to get your ass moving because it was in some apartment,” Dean answered and watched his brother’s eyes widened then close shut, trying to hide the tears that were making his eyes shiny.

“Anything else?” Sam whispered.

“Uh, no,” Dean replied. “Look, Sam, I think—“ Dean was cut off by loud sirens and looked over to watch two firetrucks speed by.

“That’s the way to the hotel,” Sam choked out and then was jumping out of his seat. Dean cursed and threw some cash on the table and ran after his brother. 

“Sam, I’ll drive!” Dean yelled, watching Sam pause at the sight of the Impala before running to the passenger side. Dean didn’t hesitate to follow and started the car as soon as he was in. Sam gave loud instructions to the hotel and soon they came upon a Super 8 that was on fire. Well, the second floor was.

“Jess!” Sam yelled and shot out of the car as soon as it was stopped. 

Dean was drowning in the visions of Sam’s dying. He couldn’t let his brother die! He ran after his brother, passed the firefighters who were yelling at them, but he wouldn’t let his brother go in there alone. He looked up and swore he saw someone standing in the window of one of the burning rooms but kept going when the figure disappeared. Was he hallucinating as well now? 

He followed his brother up a flight of stairs but paused at the thick smoke and the flames he could see at the end of the hall. 

“Sam!” He yelled, pleading for his brother to slow down but Sam’s pace continued to be fast. Dean followed after a beat, pushing himself more than he had in a long time. He was getting dizzy but didn’t care. Sam needed him. He got to Sam’s side when he was kicking in a door. Flames were licking the walls and on the ceiling a pretty blonde girl was trapped, blood seeping out of her stomach.

“No! Jess!” Sam roared and ran in, or tried to. Dean wrapped his arms around his brother and pulled as hard as he could. “Let me go!” 

“No! There’s nothing you can do!” Dean yelled back and managed to get his brother into the hall. “Sam, please! I can’t lose you!” 

“I can’t lose her!” Sam shot back and tears were running down his cheeks. Dean coughed from the smoke and wished he had his gun to knock his brother out. He was stronger than Dean, not really fighting too much anymore, but if he wanted free, he’d be able to. He didn’t carry his gun often anymore, he was becoming a civilian. 

“Sam, please!” He just yelled and felt the fight drain out of his brother. He turned and dragged his brother with him. 

_See you soon, Dean-o._ A voice seemed to whisper and he glanced back but saw nothing, but the nausea that crept up told him something had just happened. He didn’t stop though. He needed to keep his brother alive.


End file.
